Our Sunday Stuff and DRIVE Those Knees (and 11 other things I tell myself when I get tired during a race/workout).

I hope your weekend was absolutely amazing. We had a great Sunday together and this might be my current favorite picture of Brooker head.

It was all her idea to add the sunglasses to her ensemble.

Sunday’s are our favorite because we just do a whole lot of family stuff.

Brooke was really into the church lesson;)

So she made some pretty sweet snaps and sent them to who knows who.

We had dinner at my parents’ house at 4:30 pm… I see nothing wrong with eating that early:)

And ice cream sundaes just a little bit later.

On the way home we drove by a park and it was too pretty not to stop. Brooke made a best friend while we were there.

And then we finished off the day with some bike riding. PS public service announcements for runners + summer (I learned the hard way last summer)—> WEAR SUPPORTIVE footwear all summer long. I have found that Birksenstocks make my feet happy and would love to know what sandals/summer shoes that are supportive that you love!

It’s been 5 months since my last race so I thought I’d write my list of things I do/think when the going gets tough! This picture is from the last time I ran this race (ps my iPod died at mile 12… I’ll make sure my music is ready to last the whole race this time). I don’t feel anywhere near to the fitness levels that I had last time I ran this race but that is okay, I’m ready to really push myself!

*COUNT STEPS. I love to do this because it distracts my brain from the pain. I also love trying to guess how many steps it will take to get to the next stop sign etc. I keep reminding myself that I can run for x amount of steps and then reevaluate from there!

*A few weeks ago Josse and I were finishing up our 14 miler and she reminded me to do something during the last mile or two that I LOVED thinking about. I love having little tweeks/ideas/mantras/anything to think about on repeat when I am wanting really badly to quit. We were tired, hot and really wanting a fast finish for our long run and so focusing on this made it so much more doable! It is easy for that form to fall apart while we are tired and this reminder from Josse gave my stride a lot more power—> zone my attention into driving my knees forward. This is something that tends to fall to the wayside when I am really exhausted but reseting myself to drive my knees forward again with each stride gives power to my running and forward momentum.

DRIVETHOSEKNEES!

*I try my best to stay in the moment! Thinking about running 11.1 more miles at RACE PACE is sure daunting when you are at mile 2. I take it a mile at a time. I stay where I am and do everything I can to avoid thinking about the road too far up ahead because then I give up a little bit mentally!

*Set all of the mini-goals possible. Make it to the next aid station, get to the next light pole, run your hardest until you see your family along the way… and then set a new goal. Small goals feel a whole lot more doable than the big ones when you are exhausted.

*I REMEMBER MY TRAINING and previous races. I remember that I have felt this way before and survived and finished strong.

*I repeat Brooke’s name or people’s names that mean a lot to me. I just repeat the name over and over again and it gives me so much drive and determination to keep going.

* I’ve told you this one MANY times (it’s just that good) before but I focus on MY ARMS. When my legs are tired I pump my arms harder. I found it is pretty much impossible for me to slow down if I am pumping my arms hard. Paying attention to my arms more than my legs helps me to forget all about how tired my legs are.

*My running form starts to turn awful whenever I am REALLY tired and so I make sure to periodically (every mile or so) raise my hands up to the sky to realign my spine and get rid of the slouching. It stretches everything out and helps out my form big time which then helps out my running.

*I TRY to speed it up (which sounds crazy when you are already tired) BUT… it works a little bit. It takes different muscles to go different speeds so switching up the muscles you are using by increasing your speed will help with some of your muscle fatigue!

*I think of the hard life stuff I’ve made it through without quitting and remind myself that is a whole lot harder than running so to KEEP GOING. We’ve all had crazy lows in life and speed bumps that slowed us down but we overcame them didn’t we?? We can do that same thing with running too.

*I try to save my absolute favorite POWER songs for the last few miles of a race because those are the songs (because of their beat and lyrics) that really get my legs going even if they are tired.

*Tie a rope to the person in front of you and visualize it pulling you in to them!! Our minds are sure powerful and if we use them to trick our bodies into moving faster or keeping the pace then we are set!

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Training last week:

Monday: 8 miles @ 8:04 average

Tuesday: Tempo Run Tuesday (goodness gracious it has been a long time it feels like since I’ve done a tempo). 2 miles warm-up, 5 miles (6:53, 6:48, 6:37, 6:31) and 3 miles cool-down. Tempo + progression run. Average pace—> 7:21

Wednesday: 8 miles @ 8:18 average pace

Thursday: 10 miles with Josse @ 7:59 average pace.

Friday: yoga and a lil’ walk

Saturday: 12 miles @ 9:38 pace (trails!!!!)

Sunday: OFF!! and consisted of a whole lot of this: (I am very grateful for the days she is super cuddly!

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What do you think about/do to keep moving forward when you are fatigued during a race or really hard workout?

What was your best run last week? Hardest run?

Favorite half marathon that you have ever done?

Favorite ice cream toppings… also, are you more of a chocolate or caramel sauce person?

67 comments

I have to be in the right mood for caramel sauce. Usually once I have it, I remember how much I love it! I’ve been on an ice cream cone kick recently. I want one all the time!

I always break up races into shorter portions. Sometimes it’s breaking it up mile by mile, other times I try to break it up by who I am going to see on the course next. And I count steps too. If I’m really tired, I will watch the ground until I hit X number of steps. It works for me! I also love a good mantra!

My best run was the ten miler I did on Sunday morning. I just felt strong the whole run! It was great!

Thank you for some ideas! Racing/tough workouts can definitely be challenging–I really like the idea of pretending like you’ve tied a rope to the person in front of you. I might have to steal that one!

My favorite half is definitely the Cowtown Half or the Dallas Half. I just love having my family at the finish line cheering for me, and I love getting to run through familiar areas in Fort Worth and in Dallas.

Yesterday I ran a half and found myself losing my energy at mile 4. I spent many miles staring at the double yellow lines down the middle of the road just to zone out and hopefully get through the halfway point without mentally falling apart. It should have been an easy race yesterday but I ended up slowing down a lot with every mile. It was raining and I wore super old shoes so perhaps that had something to do with it. It doesn’t really matter to me today but yesterday I was sad

Caramel sauce for me! My kids love taking wacky pictures of themselves with all those filters and apps I don’t understand. I ran twice this week post marathon and definitely feel out of the loop with running.

I love to put tons of toppings on my ice cream! Both chocolate and caramel sauce please! And some kind of nuts!

The first half marathon I ever ran is still my favorite (even though I thought I was going to die the whole time). It was superhero themed and I ran the whole race behind a guy with underwear on his head! I guess he was supposed to be Captain Underpants?

I LOVE Birkenstocks! My favourite shoes ever, although my heels do slide around without a back strap supporting them :( I try to wear my Birks as long as possible – sometimes in snowy weather with socks because I’m that girl haha!!

And I love any and everything sweet on my ice cream! I’d throw chocolate, brownies, cookies, whipped cream.. whatever! As long as it’s NOT healthy it’s going on my ice cream bowl :P

I did a lot of those things in my half yesterday!!! Definitely try to speed up as tired as we are because slowing down totally makes it worse. And I definitely pictured some of my training runs along with blocking out some bad race memories where I felt most fatigued. every little bit helps!

I love the rope trick. I’ve never thought of that and now I’m sure that would help! I haven’t ever done a half marathon yet, but I want to. Maybe by next season I’ll be ready for that.
Chocolate and Carmel are both good but I prefer chocolate on icecream.

So many favorite half marathons but one of my top favorites was probably the Sedona Half Marathon! Such a beautiful course and so cool to be running through the mountains! Jealous you get to do it all the time!

Rachel P

Caramel and chocolate for the win! I need a sundae now ;)
Saturday had my 2nd half marathon which was the first in my hometown! Beautiful since we ran in the country and by the river with everything in bloom!
It was a fundraiser for Inheritance of Hope! An AMAZING organization so check it out!!

Great advice and tips Janae. Some races are downright terrible and I agree it’s important to look at the main picture. That’s normally how I get through hard workouts. My favorite run of the week was the Broad Street 10 miler. It felt awesome to get through another rainy race, injury free.

Emily

I wear flip-flops pretty much all summer, and Tevas have a great sole that molds to your feet as you wear them. They’re totally flat when you buy them, but after a few weeks of wear, they develop good arch support, which is important for my picky feet.

Same idea as Birkenstocks, just a different style….

Hayley

I ran the New Jersey Marathon yesterday and BQ’ed!! I had a stress fracture in the fall and had to drop out of Chicago and started (slowly) adding back mileage in January. I only got in 4-5 longish runs and otherwise just did 2 short runs a week… It is amazing what our bodies are capable of! My goal was 3:32 to ensure I’d be good too get a bib and I ended up running 3:27:42! Definitively ready for a LONG break from running to let my legs heal and get in a great training cycle for Boston next year!

Chocolate on my ice cream please! When a run becomes hard I think about just how lucky I am to be running and how even when it’s uncomfortable I enjoy it. Counting breaths and pumping my arms faster helps as well!

Thanks for sharing these tips. I’ve definitely been having my fare share of challenging runs lately trying to build up my mileage after a long break from running so these will come in handy. I usually just really try to focus on my mantras and my music, but sometimes you just need a little something more. It also really helps me to do the runs outside instead of on the treadmill. It’s almost impossible for me to enjoy those runs!

These are all really good things to do during races! I like to break up the race into smaller portions and focus on those. A few 4 mile runs + 1 mile usually sounds a lot better to me than 13.1 miles haha.

Cindy from WI

I love your blog…thanks for sharing your life with us. Your running tips are great and I plan on putting them into use at my next race!
I recommend SOLE sandals. They have nice arch support and still are comfortable and stylish. I have the Sole Sport Flips..I wear them ALL summer! It keeps my PF from acting up.

Thank you so much Cindy! I am totally going to have to look up SOLE right now. They sound amazing and anything I can do to keep my PF far far away makes me happy!!!! Hope you are having a wonderful day!

That’s a great picture of Brooke, she’s very sassy and a fashionista there.

I felt awful on my last half marathon , I considered stopping at mile 8. I used the facilities and then decided to get to mile 10 where I would walk the last 5K if I needed to. Oddly, it was flat and I was in good shape but I wasn’t feeling it. I walked more than I wanted to but my finish time wasn’t awful. Not what I planned but it happens. I felt okay with myself after, there will be other races.

I try to think about how I deserve to be where I am because I put in the training. I also like to think about all the non-running things in my life that are amazing. I also think about God A LOT while I run. I try to pray and thank Him for all that he has blessed us with.

Right now, I am thinking about how I am excited to start into serious training for our 48 hour race later this summer!

I don’t really top my ice cream, because I would rather just eat a flavorful flavor that doesn’t need topping. Plus, I don’t like the texture chocolate candies get when they get partially frozen. I think I might be weird.

I’ve only run 8 halfs, and many of those were the same course. But, my PR was at a small local race called Buffalo Creek Half Marathon. It’s maybe 1000 people, MAX. It’s run on a crushed limestone rails to trails trail & has an overall net elevation loss. There are only a few spots along the course for crowd support, since it’s a trail. But it’s where I got my PR, so I’m a bit partial. :)

Holly

My favorite has been the Provo Half, looks like the one you’re doing! I am doing Ogden Half in 3 weeks, this year instead of Provo, just cuz I was told it’s a “have to” race. But Provo is my favorite! I’d lost speed and endurance over the last six months or so and have been worried about this race, but I dropped 12 pounds, saw a chiropractor for some rib and sciatica issues, and my speed and endurance are back up. I’m feeling strong! My pace is not like yours, of course I’ll be 50 this year, so I’m happy with what I’ve got!

Have a great race next week!!

Christine

Favorite half marathon is the Earth Rock Run I ran yesterday in North Andover, MA! I PR’d by 19 minutes (I sent you an email to your running accomplishments address!). They had cider donuts, ice cream and beer for us after the run. We also got a super comfy t-shirt and hooded sweatshirt made from 100% recycled materials for swag. Such a great race! It was an AWESOME day!

Holly

Ha!! Just as I submitted my last comment I got an email from Provo telling me about packet pick up! Maybe I’m signed up and forgot!! Or they just want me back :) I was going to next year, but instead signed up for the Salt Lake City Marathon. I’ll be 50 by then and in the next age group bracket. Gotta celebrate 50!

Loribeth

Last week’s runs were all a little more demanding because the heat and humidity and pollen were all super high. This week should be cooler so it should feel easier. I love my converse and (while I don’t currently have a pair now) I love chacos, too! My favorite half marathon is coming up in one month!! (In Leipers Fork, TN) And ice cream is good with almost any topping, especially chocolate AND caramel sauce!

Katie

Although I’m not a super experienced racer yet, I try to catch the pacers while racing. That really helps drive me through. At my last half (and my favorite so far… Asheville, NC is BEAUTIFUL), I started towards the back (I hate being in the mix at the very front), so I focused on catching up to/passing as many pacers as I could. They’re all so motivational too…. I finally caught the 2:15 pacer and told her I was going to stick with her. She pushed me forward and said “Nope… you’re ahead of me!” Sure enough, I finished at 2:10. :)

Favorite run last week was a really relaxed but hilly 8 miles in one of my favorite neighborhoods. Didn’t care about pace, just ran with my thoughts and some good tunes.

Caramel and chocolate TOGETHER is my favorite. You just can’t go wrong with either.

That picture of Brooke is so darling…I feel like she’s saying, “Hello dah-ling!” It just adorable!

Those are such great race tips! I never thought about stretching out my arms like that, but my shoulders always tighten up in a race. I’ll be using that tip this weekend for Mt. Charleston. One thing that I like to do is focus on the mile I’m in and repeat the time I want for the mile over and over.

My favorite run this week was 15 miles down the St. George marathon course and down through Snow Canyon. It was rainy and the canyon was misty and cloudy and beautiful.

HAHAH She totally does look like she is saying that. Come run a race up north and stay with me! Oh that St. George course is by far the best. CONGRATS again on Boston, you are amazing and good luck this weekend!

Mantras help me so much too! Usually “up and over” “you love this” or “where is your heart?” usually helps.

The last 2/3 halfs I have done I was either led off course or the course was a mile short so while they were heart breakers, they were blessings because yo I got to run with a bunch of other sickly minded people.

Caramel sauce all the way, but rainbow sprinkles and jelly beans have the keys to my heart.

Jessica

OOFOS. They are the most comfortable sandals ever. I wear them around the house so I’m never barefoot and they help loads with preventing my plantar fasciitis from coming back. I HIGHLY recommend them, even though they look silly. I have a pair of the regular ones for indoors and a pair of the slide over ones for outside, and I am contemplating getting one of the ‘fancier’ pairs (which still look silly but are worth it.) Imagine the absence of foot pain, and then this is even better :) I love Birks and need a new pair since mine are worn down in the heel, but the heel is still a bit too hard for me.

Jessica

No problem! They feel like walking on clouds. They sell them at most specialty running stores (and I think the website has a store locator) but they are also available on Amazon. Although I didn’t know my size so I just went in person. Hope they work for you :)

Amanda

There is a major hill near my house (2.6 miles straight up, and the most steep part is at the very end) that I try to run up and down at least once before a race. It’s more for boosting my confidence than actual training. During the race I remind myself that I did that tough hill–so I can do hard things!

I’m running the Provo City Half this weekend as well. I’ll be rooting for you!

Amanda

Whitney S.

summer shoes: Chaco’s! I also have a pair of Birkey’s that are super old and the cork is cracking. Chaco’s have a rubber sole – so I don’t feel as guilty squatting in them when I need to (I have a toddler!).

Janae, what are your fave ways to train your body/mind to stay strong in the last 6 miles of the marathon? I ran the NJ marathon yesterday… everything was on track until the last 10K. I did the counting steps thing, pumping arms, etc but it was like my mind wanted it more than my body could deliver. I did PR, but my time was nowhere near what I trained for. I’d love your thoughts on how to train to stay strong at the end of the marathon!

Renee

Random but…We just had our annual Eugene, Oregon marathon yesterday. There was a man there that completed it at 77 years old and it was his 100th marathon!! That was his goal and he reached it! I thought it was very cool and thought of telling you lol. He was also diagnosed with cancer four years ago and has ran 9 marathons since his diagnosis :( Pure awesome-ness. And Brooker head looks very dashing ;)

I coached for team in training for many years and I got into the mind thought of pushing myself for those I know have had a rough time. I ran/race walked in memory of those I have loved who lost their battle with cancer and those who were kicking it everyday. So I still think about that but I have not done a race in awhile. I am trying to get myself back somehow. Avascular necrosis has destroyed my knees along with a detoriating patella in my left knee. So running is out, race walking maybe, hard work outs at the gym are great and I am so happy about that for now.

Melissa

Great reminders – thank you.
The Sedona (AZ) half marathon is THE BEST. It is so beautiful that the scenery distracts from the hills. It’s usually in February, so the start is often cold, but once you start running, it’s the perfect temperature. It’s my absolute favorite.http://www.sedonamarathon.com/

Mary Ann

I need really good shoes for my terrible, mangled feet. I like Sofft and Cobb Hill (by New Balance! – they make some great shoes, too), for dress-casual. For knock-arounds, I’ve always had good luck with Teva sandals.

I’ve been sampling some Birks from a mail order site. Did you find they felt kind or wrong on your feet at first? It’s like they are firm in all the wrong places on the bottoms of my feet. I can’t tell if they are going to form to my fit or torture me!

Mary Ann

Sofft and Cobb Hill have good, supportive sandals is what i meant. I have some Cobb Hill booties (i.e. non-sandals) that I LOVED this winter, and I liked the style of some of their other shoes (non-sandals) too.

Jacqui

I’m a chocolate lover. Love all the tips to keep you going during a race. My favorite half marathon was the rock n roll nashville 1/2 marathon. It was amazing and there were bands and people cheering the entire way! so motivating!